In the meat industry, cattle, hogs, sheep, etc. are slaughtered, the head and viscera removed, and the carcass split lengthwise through the backbone leaving the sides joined by skin and tissue at points along the back. A gambrel is inserted between the back leg bone and the tendon near the foot or hoof. The gambrel is then suspended on a wheeled trolley hanging the carcasses vertically downward from the feet and moved along an overhead rail to a cold storage station, usually a room at 32.degree. F. to 42.degree. F. where the carcasses become stiff with cold as well as preserved by refrigeration.
In the prior art, the vertically hanging carcasses are later removed from the gambrels and placed in a horizontal position to break them up into shoulder, loin-belly and ham portions. These cuts are handled manually in the prior art. This prior art horizontal break-up is labor intensive with workmen manually using saws and knives. The change of position for vertical to horizontal of the heavy carcasses is time consuming and difficult, hard work and therefore expensive.
If the cuts are made as desired, they command a higher price in the marketplace; if not, there are two reduced price portions; one that was cut off too long and the one that was cut off too short. The length, weight and unwieldiness of the carcass, human dis-interest, fatigue, arm-reach, and lack of skill contribute to financially improper cuts.
The most important element of the break-up is accuracy of cut at the desired point. Accuracy means profits and inaccuracy means losses of those profits. Depending on market prices for certain cuts, there are times when the ham is cut short and the loin-belly cut long and vice-versa. This is also true of the shoulder-loin-belly points of cut. Modifying the point of cut is based on customer demand and the relatively small modifications result in a large increase in profits.